Pardon my rant!
Mario Moore
“When you think about some of the brothers who are being brutalized by the police, you also got to have them take a look, and us take a look , in the mirror, at the image we portray. If I’m a cop and every time I see a young black youth, whether I watch them on TV, movies, or just see them hanging out, and they’re not looking properly dressed, properly refined, you know, carrying himself, conducting himself proper hours of the day—things that a man does, you’re going to have a certain fear and stereotype of them.”
Image by Danielle Eliska Lyle
Well I'm glad someone finally figured it out. All we have to do is stop dressing casually then the police brutality and racial profiling will come to an end. Ladies and gentleman please drop one of DJ Clue’s bombs for the RZA. Also, let's see if we can get him nominated for a Nobel Piece Prize while we are at it. But before we do that, let's talk about how he missed a "minor" detail -- and that is -- yes, while we can change our clothes to present a “more positive image” of ourselves, we cannot change the color of our skin. The thing that RZA fails to understand is that no matter how we dress, the racial injustices will continue to happen. (Just ask James Blake)
Black writers in Harlem, 1920's
I also think it's unrealistic for black men to dress up everyday. This isn't Harlem during the Roaring 20’s. We, like our Caucasian counterparts, should be able to wear what we like and feel safe to do so without being racially profiled, subjected to unwarranted police brutality, or having women clutch their purses when we enter an establishment. Sometimes I like to clutch my wallet when I'm in a PWE (predominantly white establishment) just to make “them” feel uncomfortable. You should try it some time; funniest thing you will do all year.
Image by Danielle Eliska Lyle
Without getting off track, the point is it doesn't matter if you're wearing a suit from Brooks Brothers or a hoodie and jeans, these things will still happen. It's very disheartening to know that no matter how we dress, we are still treated unfairly. Unfortunately there is no style tip to end racial injustices.